Software/Template for writing game scripts?

Nexus · Jan 4, 2015

Hey there,

I have looked all over, far and wide, for an application or basic template for writing a game script.

While it seems logical that the script for a FPS would differ from that of a Point-and-click Adventure, I am not really looking for something highly tooled and geared towards any one special formula.

While the game I have in mind is a Scifi, Point-and-click (driven primarily by the interactive story elements), I am not sure exactly how a professional (more or less) script would appear.

While I've written out the settings, dialogue, and game interactions in pretty good detail, I want to assemble it into something that is cohesive, easily readable, and organized.

So far, the only things I can find online are screen-writer templates and software. I presume that these things are not particular in demand for game writers, but I'd love to see what is available.

Does anyone know/recommend any software or guidelines? Also, if you have your own personal recommended structure for writing game stories, that would be appreciated if you would share it.

For reference, my current ad hoc structure is similar to screenwriting in that I add scene intros such as Setting, Characters, Items, Description before the scene, and then show the dialogue and story progression in the scene below the summaries. It is very basic, not too professional in execution, and not the most organized looking method.

Thanks!

VeryBigBeard · Jan 5, 2015

Others may be able to share more than I know.

My understanding is that it depends. Game writing is new enough and extremely varied. There is no standard, except screenplay format for cinematic scenes. But most smaller games won't have a lot of cinematics.

Beyond that, it's down to proprietary software for larger studios (BioWare use a particular modding tool to structure the dialogue scripts) or whatever you prefer for working on your own. Excel is useful for actually delivering lines to coders for implementation into some sort of dialogue engine. I like drafting on mind-mapping software so I can see non-linear breaks. Increasingly I end up using a wiki so my teammates can see what's going on, we collate all our backgrounders and design docs, etc.

Word of caution: Writing a game script without a game is a bit like writing fan-fic. It can be a lot of fun, you'll learn a tonne, it might be a good portfolio piece even, but you won't be able to sell it like a novel. You might be able to use it to get teammates to build the game, but some sort of design document or pitch is better for that than a whole script. Design and prototype the game as you write. Tech, interaction design, art, and so on will all affect story, so figure that out and test it before you commit a lot of time to writing a huge number of lines. (Exception to this is if you use a game-making tool like RPG Maker that largely builds the system for you, leaving you free to just craft the game's broader strokes and story. Perfectly good way to do it, but even then best to think a bit about how the design works first.)

Best of luck!

Nexus · Jan 6, 2015

VeryBigBeard said:
Others may be able to share more than I know.

My understanding is that it depends. Game writing is new enough and extremely varied. There is no standard, except screenplay format for cinematic scenes. But most smaller games won't have a lot of cinematics.

Beyond that, it's down to proprietary software for larger studios (BioWare use a particular modding tool to structure the dialogue scripts) or whatever you prefer for working on your own. Excel is useful for actually delivering lines to coders for implementation into some sort of dialogue engine. I like drafting on mind-mapping software so I can see non-linear breaks. Increasingly I end up using a wiki so my teammates can see what's going on, we collate all our backgrounders and design docs, etc.

Word of caution: Writing a game script without a game is a bit like writing fan-fic. It can be a lot of fun, you'll learn a tonne, it might be a good portfolio piece even, but you won't be able to sell it like a novel. You might be able to use it to get teammates to build the game, but some sort of design document or pitch is better for that than a whole script. Design and prototype the game as you write. Tech, interaction design, art, and so on will all affect story, so figure that out and test it before you commit a lot of time to writing a huge number of lines. (Exception to this is if you use a game-making tool like RPG Maker that largely builds the system for you, leaving you free to just craft the game's broader strokes and story. Perfectly good way to do it, but even then best to think a bit about how the design works first.)

Best of luck!

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate the advice. Of note, I do have a lot of the game design down. I even made a demo of the game in a very basic adventure-creator tool. Here is the game

It's been a while since I modified that game version, but I would like to eventually turn it into a real point and click adventure.

VeryBigBeard · Jan 6, 2015

Cool!

I've wanted to try a text adventure for awhile. Might be one of my next projects, as I'm not much of a coder but I love playing with the design side stuff.

For what you have I'd use mind-mapping just to show the different branches. I usually create a node for a line and then add any notes or responses as sub-nodes. The only thing is that it's sometimes harder for others to read the mind-map layout, but if you're working alone that's less of a problem.

William Haskins · Jan 6, 2015

script formats typically vary based on the studio and/or project as many developers use a script tool to collate lines for recording, editing and revising in order to keep a more accurate change log.

ultimately, if you are writing in a generalized screenplay format, you have a good sandbox to play in; technical direction, etc is difficult to predict outside a specific gig.

remember that game dialogue is most often branching and conditional, not linear.

good luck to you in your pursuits.

Isobel Lindley · Jan 14, 2015

I can recommend Chatmapper for non linear scripting for games. I played around with Articy Draft's trial version, but it just had too much going on for my needs.

Balthagor · Jan 15, 2015

Chatmapper looks pretty good. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't appear to have a cloud option (storing data remotely so that users can collaborate). How flexible is it if you have multiple content creators?

Isobel Lindley · Jan 16, 2015

To be honest, I have no idea. I am strictly solo, and I back up on Google Drive.

Melanii · Jan 17, 2015

I'm kind of looking for the best way to write out game scripts as well; software or otherwise. My team and I are creating a J-RPG, so not many branching dialogue here. I seem to have issues where I'm not sure if I mention the location, things available there, and then the scenes or what.

Software/Template for writing game scripts?

Nexus

Evolute

VeryBigBeard

Preparing for winter

Nexus

Evolute

VeryBigBeard

Preparing for winter

William Haskins

poet

Isobel Lindley

writing as Eleanor Beresford

Balthagor

New Fish; Testing the Waters

Isobel Lindley

writing as Eleanor Beresford

Melanii

Talking Fruit